The Executive Director of Thoughtful House Foundation, Yahcit Zakari, has called on staff of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) not to stigmatize people with autism.
She made the call recently at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja while sensitizing staff of ICPC on autism. She defined autism as a developmental disorder in children and its manifestation in them could take the form of delayed speech and making poor eye contact with others.
Other indicators are stereotype or repetitive behaviors, poor social interaction with peers and struggle with academic work.
Zakari said that autism is not contagious; therefore, parents should not forbid their children from interacting with those living with the challenge. Instead, that people should show them love and care because that will encourage them to learn how to do things they would not have been able to do naturally.
She added that with the right intervention and support, children suffering from autism can be turned into great assets.
“At the moment, research is still on-going as to what causes autism. Scientifically there is no known cause yet”, she said.
Zakari further used the platform to call on staff of ICPC to support the effort of the foundation through financial donations, and spreading the word. She also urged staff to always show love and not stigmatize children living with autism.
She also stated that 2nd April has been tagged World Autism Day.
The Thoughtful House Foundation, as a Non-Profit Organization, is a forward-thinking organization focused on deploying resources and programmes to support children on autism spectrum.